Three Oil Ships Damaged in Gulf as Tehran Retaliates for US-Israeli Strikes
At least three oil tankers were damaged in Gulf waters as the Middle East conflict widened, according to shipping sources and officials. The incidents followed U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran over the weekend, triggering retaliatory actions by Tehran that have heightened risks for commercial vessels in one of the world’s busiest oil corridors.
A Palau-flagged tanker under U.S. sanctions was struck off Oman’s Musandam peninsula, injuring four crew members who were evacuated. Another vessel, the MKD VYOM, took a projectile hit northwest of Muscat, and a third tanker was damaged off the UAE coast amid falling debris from aerial operations.
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Shipping traffic disruption is spreading: more than 150 tankers have dropped anchor outside the Strait of Hormuz and Japan’s major shippers have suspended Hormuz transits.
Insurance rates are expected to surge as war risks spike, and authorities are warning ships to avoid the area.